Objective: Multimorbidity or the co-occurrence of multiple health conditions is increasing globally and is associated with significant psychological complications. It is unclear whether digital mental health (DMH) interventions for patients experiencing multimorbidity are effective, particularly given that this patient population faces more treatment resistance. The goal of the current study was to examine the impact of smartphone-delivered DMH interventions for patients presenting with elevated internalizing symptoms that have reported multiple lifetime medical conditions.
Methods: This preregistered (see https://osf.io/vh2et/ ) retrospective cohort intent-to-treat study with 2819 patients enrolled in a therapist-supported DMH intervention examined the associations between medical multimorbidity (MMB) and mental health outcomes.
Results: Results indicated that more MMB was significantly associated with greater presenting mental health symptom severity. MMB did not have a deleterious influence on depressive symptom trajectories across treatment, although having one medical condition was associated with a steeper decrease in anxiety symptoms compared to patients with no medical conditions. Finally, MMB was not associated with time to dropout, but was associated with higher dropout and was differentially associated with fewer beneficial treatment outcomes, although this is likely attributable to higher presenting symptom severity, rather than lesser symptom reductions during treatment.
Conclusions: Overall, the Meru Health Program was associated with large effect size decreases in depressive and anxiety symptoms regardless of the number of MMB. Future DMH treatments and research might investigate tailored barrier reduction and extended treatment lengths for patients experiencing MMB to allow for greater treatment dose to reduce symptoms below clinical outcome thresholds.
Copyright © 2024 by the American Psychosomatic Society.